BAROMETER 2022
THE PERCEPTION OF RISKS AND SECURITY
IN FRANCE
https://barometre.irsn.fr/

For more than 30 years, the IRSN Barometerhas been following annually the perception ofrisks and security by the French people. This
continuous study provides precious insight tobetter understand risk perception, which inturn helps IRSN better handle risk assessment.
The Barometer focuses on four major topics:
1) the current concerns of the French,
2) their views on science and expertise,3) their perception of various risksituations,4) their opinions on nuclear matters andsafety.

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In the 2022 edition as well as in the previous ones since 1997,
the surveys were conducted during the preceding fall (from Nov
15th until Nov 22nd) on a representative sample of the French
population. The questionnaire remained with marginal add-ons
and removals to guarantee stability among the data. The twochanges implemented last year were maintained: the sample
size has been increased to 2000 instead of 1000 the previousyears. The survey will now be permanently conducted online
instead of in person since 2020. Both changes improve thestatististical accuracy and relevance of the data collected. All
results are available on https://barometre.irsn.fr
In 2021, climate change and health were equally themain concerns of the French with 22 % of answers each.
Health loses 4 points while climate change gains 7 andreaches an all-time high. Terrorism (10 %), second lastyear declines in favor of crime (15 %). Terrorisms is now
also preceded by poverty and disenfranchisement(13 %) and global geopolitical instability (11 %).
Unemployment is at an all-time low of 6 %. Social andeconomic concerns are lower this year than usual,although half of the health concerns are of that nature(the cost and accessibility, the economic consequencesof the pandemic).
Among the main environmental concerns, climatechange remains the front runner (40 %, +1 point). The
gap keeps widening with other subjects, thedisappearance of animal species (12 %) and the damage
caused by natural disasters (11 %).
Regarding the perception of disasters, nuclear power
plants remain in 2021 (27 %) the facilities most liable toprovoke an accident but with an all-time low of answers.
They are followed by radioactive waste storage facilities(20 %) and chemical plants (18 %). In the aftermath of
the Covid-19 pandemic, virus research laboratories

reached a peak of 14 % (+ 1 point). The Chernobyl andFukushima accidents are still the disasters perceived
as the most frightening, with 50 % and 20 % ofanswers, in front of the December 26th 2004 tsunami
in the Indian Ocean.
The image of science and experts tarnished by the2020 health crisis continues to improve. In 2021, 64 %of the French trust scientific institutions (+3 points)
and 54 % have a positive opinion on scientific experts(+10 points since May 2020), 8 % have a bad opinion(-3 points). The most expected quality for a scientificexpert is still competency (31 %) before honesty intheir scientific approach (26 %) and independence(22 %).
The French re-affirm their inclination towards having
officials consult experts. They consider that theexistence of the scientific Council is a good thing (84 %,+ 2 points) and 61 % of them consider that officials do
not take enough into account the opinions of scientificexperts (+ 4 points).
The demand for a wide access to quality information isreinstated in 2021. The French remain 91 % to consider
that it is necessary to make available to allcomprehensible information on installation’s risks. They
are 74 % to consider that making the reports of expert
bodies public is a priority (+3 points).
Nevertheless, 50 % don’t wish to participate themselves
to public meetings about at risk facilities and 39 % rather
have community representatives or members of the civilsociety (NGO’s, journalists…) have access to thesereports. Thus, there is an increased demand for
information access but also an increased demand for
mediation in order for it to be understandable. For
instance, among the people who do not wish toparticipate in public meeting, the lack of competency is
the most affirmed reason (52 %).

Part 2-Question 7: Expertise on technological risks is translated into reports to the competent authorities, who can decide to authorize or not
an industrial operation. About these expertise reports, which of these two options do you prefer?

2Among the 32 areas featured in the Barometer, airpollution (71 % of « high risk ») joins the top three forthe first time since 2015. It is behind cancer (78 %) but
in front of terrorism (70 %), last year’s front runner.
Climate risks sustain an above average level incomparison to their historic levels. Regarding nuclear
risks, radioactive waste (48 %) and nuclear power plants(39 %) remain at the observed historic low for threeyears.
A new question was introduced this year to put inperspective risks perceived « for the French » with risks
perceived « for oneself and their surroundings ». The
latter is systematically lower. For oneself and theirsurroundings, cancer is the highest risk (51 % of « highrisk »). The largest gap between risks « for the French »and « for oneself and their surroundings » is with drugs,
69 % for the French and 25 % for oneself.
The introduction of
All results of the annual survey arethis new question
available on
redefines
thehttps://barometre.irsn.fr withhierarchy of risks
more than two hundred figures.
when
askedforoneself or for society
in general. Addictive behaviors (drugs, alcohol,tobacco…) are downplayed on the individual level. The
pandemic and diffuse pollutions are relatively
downplayed on the social level in comparison to theindividual. Nuclear power plants are at the bottom of
the hierarchy on both levels while nuclear waste is fiveranks higher “for the French” (18th), than “for oneself”(23rd).

Part 3-Question 1: In each of the following areas, do you consider that the risks for the French population in general are… & Question
2: how about for yourself and the ones close to you, do you consider that the risks are…?

November 2021 – Ranking of the « high » (“high” and “very high”) answers for 10 of the 32 items.

The French’s trust in authorities to protect them from atrisk situations is the highest for AIDS (41 %), terrorism
and traffic accidents (both 38 %). It remains the lowest
for diffuse pollutions. For the third time, respondents
have been asked an open question.
This year, they expressed the five words that they
associate with « vaccine ». The goal was to determine
what kind of ideas are associated with it. The resultspresented in the word cloud form can be reused byresearchers. At first, we see that the vaccine is mainly
associated with positive terms such as « security » or
« prevention ». Then the results are more descriptive(Covid, illness, virus…) and afterwards optimistic (hope,solution, freedom). Feelings of fear, doubt or reject also
appear on a more minor level (dictatorship, hoax, cash
for the pharmaceutical industry…), about 10 % ofentries.

This year’s Barometer summarizes the French’s opinion
on nuclear energy. Their opinion has sensibly improved
since last year. In hindsight, their outlook is much morepositive about the development of the nuclear program.
The French are 60 % to affirm that building nuclear
power plants was a good thing, 16% disagree. The
significant change is that the French used to have a“realistic” point of view about the long term energy
policy of France. Beyond a good or bad choice, thenuclear program was “realistic”. The share of the Frenchchoosing the “realistic option” was of 54 % between
1988 and 2000 and has fallen to 41 % today which nearly
equals “a good choice” (39 %). They are more favorable
to a long term continuation of the nuclear program, 44%
are in favor of building new power plants, and 29 % areopposed. At last, 46 % oppose shutting down nuclear
power plants while 26 % are in favor (- 8 points since last3year). As more of the French are favorable to acontinuation of the nuclear program, less are favorable
to wind powered electricity which’s production has

tripled since 2010. They are 31 % to accept living neara wind farm, a significant decrease since the years 20082017 when the average was 50 %.

Part 4- Question 5-1 : We need to build nuclear power plants.

The French’s favorable outlook on nuclear energy seems
to influence their perception of the risks induced byfacilities. The impact on heath and the environment isperceived like last year as relatively low. The French are
42 % to answer that “around nuclear facilities, thepopulation is as healthy as elsewhere”. On average, thisaffirmation received 23 % of positive answers between
2007 and 2018.

isn’t possible to store nuclear waste safely while 30 %consider the opposite. Thus 35 % remain undecided. As
the French are generally more in favor of building
nuclear power plants than in the past, the results about
nuclear waste are more stable.
The expectation of a high level of safety is confirmed by
87 % of the French who affirm that “the managers ofnuclear facilities must protect their installations against
all risks, even the very unlikely”. The French are 77 % toconsider that it is a priority to develop research on
safety for existing reactors. As for the perceived
outcomes of security measures, 60 % of the French on
average since 2019 consider that “all precautions aretaken to assure the highest level of safety in nuclear
power plants”, up from an average of 42 % between
2007 and 2018.

The two main arguments in favor of nuclear energy areenergy independence (36 %) and its reduced cost
(22 %). As environmental concerns increase, the mainarguments in favor of nuclear energy remain economic
and not the possibility of reducing greenhouse gas
emissions (17 %). The main arguments against it isnuclear waste production (35 %) for the second time
only and the risk of an accident (26 %). The inversion of
the ranking of these two arguments seen last year is
All results of the annual survey are
confirmed as we move further away in time from theavailable on
Fukushima accident.
Regarding the management of nuclear waste, a vast
majority of the French (68 %) affirm that the most
reasonable solution is to “make a decision as soon as
possible and apply it right away”. Only 6 % would prefer
to “leave the choice up to the next generations”. The
results for this question are remarkably stable since2005. Also, 35 % (- 7 points since 1992) consider that it

At last, the CNRS, ASN andIRSN are once again perceived
as the most competent andhttps://barometre.irsn.fr withtrustworthy bodies in the
more than two hundred figures.
field of nuclear energy.
Scientific bodies, experts andfacility
operators are perceives ascompetent and trustworthy. Labor union, journalist andpoliticians are considered less competent andtrustworthy.

For more details, contact the author of the study: Hugo LUTUN (hugo.lutun@irsn.fr).
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